La Dolce Vita in Slovenia: From The Ribolla Smell The Lovely Area Brda

Slovenia is similar to a concrete and beautiful woman, who likes to enjoy life. Land of wines and lakes has two million inhabitants, most of whom have realized that if you want to grow and bring tourists we need to focus on quality and the beautiful scenery. Slovenia is “move” as its wines, has substance and a desire to get truly unique game.

We discovered on a tour dedicated to the “Dolce Vita”, including Collio wines, natural wonders such as the Postojna caves, and excellent restaurants when it should be at least one Michelin star!

The tour begins on a “Pletna”, a traditional rowing boat gliding lightly on Lake Bled and the quiet envelops the landscape. The sharp reflections of the boat that is quietly taking place, an island in the mirror of clear water, a white stone staircase that greets the visitor before he arrived in the small fifteenth century church. Here tradition is to sound the bell three times, making a wish.

Image Source: Google Image

Then, the return on the bank to enjoy the cake bled that the number 7 its quintessence: the cream should be cooked for seven minutes, the dough is folded seven times, and the shape is a square that measures seven centimeters per side. The cake is firm and delicious and the recipe is still the original one of 1953.

For lunch, we recommend the restaurant Jezeršek, within the Bled Castle, with tables decorated with birds of bread and dishes made with great attention to detail. Very delicate cream of celery with cardamom and real shrimp, try also the typical sweet: LePotica gubana with stuffing!

If you want to give a romantic touch to your trip, Sava Hotels Bled, a luxury campsite where tents are actually wooden pyramids, with a glass overlooking the woods, cannot abandon you to Glamping. A real treat, supported by many ideas: the most unique is definitely “Like Lovers Do”, where couples will have the book of Kama Sutra, sparkling wine and massage oil in the hot tub! Or you can opt for a less “extraordinary” but still excellent: the Sava Hoteli Bled, a five star hotel with lots of SPA.

If you like the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, you should rather visit the laboratory Lectar, a traditional Slovenian inn in 1822, where they are hand-decorated heart-shaped cookies, house, and dozens of other shapes. Downstairs, a girl in traditional clothes of big red hearts brush it, while another decorates them with infinite patience: a lock here, a little flower there … here is built a small masterpiece that also can be a wedding favor! The inn is on the medieval square of the small town of Radovljica, Upper Carniola, where there is also a valuable antique shop and the Beekeeping Museum. In it is preserved the history of honey in Slovenia, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and display cases that hold the front facades of the hives, all hand painted with religious scenes of everyday life.

Land of the Histri, a people of Indo-European descent who gave his name to Istria, Piran is a little gem that stretches along the Slovenian coast. Surrounded by walls built probably in the seventh century, built to defend against the Slavs, the city was divided into districts, named according to the city gates: Mugla, Castello, Campo and Principal. Between the thirteenth and eighteenth century, the population increased and prosperous economic outlook demanded the construction of other houses, but since you had to build within the limits of the promontory, bloomed a lot of roof terraces above the roofs.

From the top of the town, on a hill, overlooking the St. George church with a bell tower that is a perfect copy (but reduced) of St. Mark’s bell tower in Venice. A time very rich city, there are still ten medieval churches within its walls. The square is wide-ranging and is inhabited by the statue of the composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (born in 1692), who played an important role in the cultural profile of the city.

There are many solutions to stay in Piran, including hotels and B & B. We stayed at Grand Hotel Bernardin, which has a view of the really lovely sea and guarantees outstanding gourmet experience at the restaurant Pečina !

But the real sensory experience, the absolute pleasure of the palate you will live in two exceptional restaurants. The first is Zemono (Vipava), the most famous Chef Slovenian Tomaž Kavčič: at the table, we tasted exceptional beef, accompanied by soup and served on a cutting board transformed for the occasion into an elegant palette of colors!

The second one is Gredič, to Ceglo (Dobrovo), in the hilly surroundings of Brda area. In this restaurant, kept in a castle, as well as excellent cuisine cannot miss a visit to the cellars, very charming and contemporary styling.

Slovenia also has excellent oil (do not miss the tasting at House of Culture in Šmartno), homemade jams and precious wines, especially white (early April there is also the feast of Ribolla), ranging tasted quietly, listening to the same producers who tell stories of honest toil, the frantic search of quality: by the farm Barkola at Lepa Vida (with a label by the brilliant name: OOO “Out of Office”), to the farm Štekar and all company Klinec the grapes are harvested by hand, and wines are natural.

A mention also deserves the Kamp Vrhpolje, Vipava house no time, run by a family dynamic, with a garden where you can pitch tents while sipping a glass of wine. Vere delights to pour into the glass, and then decant taste … to listen to the full the flavor of Slovenia!